WEBVTT >> THEY MUST HAVE KEPT IT HUSHHUSH BECAUSE AFTER I TALKED TOMY FAMILY, THEY TOLD ME THEYKNEW ABOUT IT.REPORTER: HUSH-HUSH INDEED.COVINGTON POLICE OFFICER LANCEBENJAMIN DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTANLAST AUGUST FOR A 400-DAY TOUROF DUTY.>> AND THE WAY THINGS WORKAROUND HERE, HE WAS THE NEXT UPTO BE PROMOTED, AND WE HAD THEOPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HIM.SO RATHER THAN WAIT 400 DAYS FORHIM TO GET BACK.-- TO GET THAT, LET US DO ITWHILE HE'S OVER THERE.REPORTER SO LENTZ CONTACTED: BENJAMIN'S WIFE MELANA, AWORKING MOTHER OF TWO, AND TOLDHER HE WANTED TO SET UP THSURPRISE.THEY WOULD CALL FROM THE CHIEF'SOFFICE WITH A LETTER OFAPPRECIATION.>> THEN HE WENT ON TO SAY, HESAID BUT WE'RE REALLY GOING TOPRESENT SERGEANT.I SAID OH THAT WOULD BE GREAT.THAT WOULD BE GREAT. REPORTER FOR LANCE, THE PHONE: CALL CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THENIGHT, HALF WAY AROUND THEWORLD.>> GOOD LUCK, SERGEANT, ANDWE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOUR WIFEYOUR SERGEANT STRIPES AND YOURBADGE AND SHE'LL HAVE THEM ONYOUR UNIFORM WHEN YOU GET HOMECONGRATULATIONS, MAN.[APPLAUSE]>> BEING BORN AND RAISED INCOVINGTON, YOU KNOW, GETTING TOTRULY KNOW ALL THE PEOPLE IN THECITY, IT'S JUST SOMETHING TBRING MORE OF THE COMMUNITYTOGETHER.IT'S JUST A VERY HEART WARMINGFEELING FOR ME. REPORTER THE BADGE AND STRIPES: SIT ON BENJAMIN'S TABLE ATHOME, HIS UNIFORM HANGS RIGHTNEXT TO THEM ON THE CHAIR.AMID A TABLE FULL OF PICTURES,HIS YOUNG FAMILY STAYS CLOSE,AND PROUD.>> I AM LIKE REALLY PROUDBECAUSE HE WORKED SO HARD FORIT, LIKE LONG HOURS, COMING INLATE.OH I GOT TO STAY A COUPLE OFYOU KNOW HOURS LATE., I'M LIKE NO. >> WE WANT HIM WHEN HE RETURNSFOR THOSE STRIPES AND BADGE TOBE ON HIS UNIFORM AND FOR HIM TOREPORT TO WORK AS A SERGEANT.REPORTER THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN: ABOUT A MILLION WAYS TO SAYTHANK YOU.WELL, NOW THERE IS A MILLION AND>> HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO Y'ALLONE.AS WELL.>> ALRIGHT. REPORTE SERGEANT LANCE BENJAMIN

It was a special Thanksgiving this year for a Covington police officer now serving his country in a different uniform in Afghanistan.

Army Sgt. Lance Benjamin had no idea what was in store for him when he answered his phone Tuesday, but it was a middle-of-the-night phone call he'll never forget.

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"They must have kept it hush-hush because after I talked to my family, they all knew about it," Benjamin said during a Facetime call on Wednesday.

Hush-hush indeed. A member of the Army Reserve, Benjamin deployed to Afghanistan last August for a 400-day tour of duty.

"And the way things work around here, he was the next up to be promoted, and we had the opportunity to promote him, so rather than wait 400 days for him to get back, let's do it while he is over there," Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz said.

Lentz contacted Benjamin's wife Melana, a working mother of two, and told her he wanted to set up the surprise. They would call from the chief's office ostensibly to read a letter of appreciation.

"He said, 'But we're really going to present him with (the) sergeant (rank), and I said, 'Oh, that would be great,'" Melana Benjamin said.

From his office, via computer, Lentz promoted Benjamin to sergeant.

"Good luck, sergeant, and we're going to give your wife your sergeant stripes and your badge and she'll have them on your uniform when you get home. Congratulations man!" Lentz said during the Tuesday conversation.

"Being born and raised in Covington, you know, getting to truly know all the people in the city, it's just something to bring more of the community together. It's just a very heartwarming feeling for me," Benjamin said Wednesday.

The badge and stripes sit on the Benjamin's table at home. His uniform hangs on a chair nearby.

"I'm ... really, really proud because he worked so hard for it, like long hours, coming in late, you know, 'Oh I got to stay a couple of hours late.' I'm, like, 'no!'" Melana said.

"He's one of ours. He's family and we want to make sure we never forget him and that the public doesn't forget him as well," Lentz said. "We want him when he returns for those stripes and badge to be on his uniform and for him to report to work for us as a sergeant."

Benjamin is expected to come home from Afghanistan and return to work with the Covington Police Department in September 2018.